Current Affairs Assam – February 2019
( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the month of February 2019 )
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February 12, 2019
India signs agreement with Norway
- India’s Environment Ministry signed an agreement with the Norwegian Foreign Affairs Ministry for an initiative seeking to combat marine pollution.
- This initiative will seek to support local governments in implementing sustainable waste management practices, develop systems for collecting and analysing information about sources and scope of marine pollution and improve private sector investment.
- Support will also be directed towards beach clean-up efforts, awareness raising campaigns and pilot project using plastic waste as fuel substitution for coal in cement production and developing frameworks for deposit schemes.
- A joint Task Force on Blue Economy with government officials, researchers and experts as well as the private sector was established to develop sustainable solutions within its strategic areas.
- Norway and India will share experiences and competence, and collaborate on efforts to develop clean and healthy oceans, sustainable use of ocean resources and growth in the blue economy.
FACTFILE – Marine pollution
- Marine Pollution occurs when harmful effects result from the entry into the ocean of chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural, and residential waste, noise, or the spread of invasive organisms.
- Eighty percent of marine pollution comes from land, often comes from nonpoint sources such as agricultural runoff, wind-blown debris, and dust
- Air pollution is also a contributing factor by carrying off pesticides or dirt into the ocean.
- Land and air pollution have proven to be harmful to marine life and its habitats.
- Nutrient pollution – refers to contamination by excessive inputs of nutrients. It is a primary cause of eutrophication of surface waters, in which excess nutrients, usually nitrates or phosphates, stimulate algae growth.
Online community for standards consultation to be launched by BIS
- The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) announced the launch of an online consumer community and an online industry community for standards consultation.
- These online communities in association with social engagement platform LocalCircles will enable any consumer across India to get connected with the BIS and participate in the consultation process on standards.
- The first community will also allow about consumers to share their experiences with various products and services and ideas for standards development and enhancement.
- The industry community will enable businesses to participate in standards consultation and enhancement processes.
- New sectoral level online communities may be created to bring sector level experts together as the need arises.
- Some areas where consultation exercises will begin in the coming three months include hospital, eduction, construction, smart cities, hallmark jewellery, ISI Mark and BIS licensing and certification procedures.
FACFILE – The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
- BIS is the national Standards Body of India working under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India.
- It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 which came into effect on 23 December 1986.
- The Minister in charge of the Ministry or Department having administrative control of the BIS is the ex-officio President of the BIS.
- The organisation was formerly the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), set up in 1946.
- Its headquarters are in New Delhi, with regional offices in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Delhi and 20 branch offices. It also works as WTO-TBT enquiry point for India
An MOU was signed by Punjab to check stubble burning
- To check stubble burning and boost the renewable energy sector in the state, the Punjab government on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Virgo Corporation for a Rs 630-crore bio-fuel project.
- Technology will be provided for the project by the US tech-giant Honeywell International.
- Virgo will use the technology to extract bio jet fuel from rice husk to set up a rapid thermal processing plant, which will provide over 150 direct and 500 indirect jobs.
- The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and US Ambassador to India, Kenneth I. Juster.
- Paddy is grown on 65 lakh acres of land in agrarian Punjab. After harvesting paddy, about 20 million tonnes of paddy straw is left in the fields to be managed by farmers before sowing the next Rabi crops. An estimated 15 million tonnes of paddy straw is burnt by farmers for early and easy clearance of the fields, which leads to air pollution and smog over the region.
February 11th every year is observed as the Unani Day.
- To commemorate the Unani Day 2019, a two day National Conference on Unani Medicine for Public Health was held in New Delhi. The two-day conference had dedicated sessions on lifestyle disorders and their management, regiment therapy, mother and child care, geriatric care, integration and mainstreaming of Unani Medicine in public health and globalisation of Unani Medicine.
- The conference shed light on the important role played by Unani Medicine in public health especially in combating NCDs, lifestyle disorders and various chronic diseases by providing cost-effective Unani treatment and quality products for patient healthcare.
FACTFILE – Unani Day
- February 11th is marks the birth anniversary of Hakim Ajmal Khan. Hakim Ajmal Khan took great interest in the expansion and development of the native system of Unani medicine and to that end, he built three important three important institutions, the Central College in Delhi, the Hindustani Dawakhana and the Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College Delhi, which expanded research and practice in the field and saved the Unani System of Medicine from extinction in India.
- His efforts infused a new force and life into an otherwise decaying Unani medical system under the British rule.
- In recognition of the contribution of Hakim Ajmal Khan, the Ministry of AYUSH adopted 11th February as Unani Day in 2017.
February 13, 2019
India to purchase assault rifles from US
- India signed an agreement with US-based defence firm Sig Sauer for procuring 72,400 assault rifles, at a total cost of Rs 647 crore, through the fast track mode.
- The 7.62×51 mm Sig Sauer rifles would replace the 5.56×45 mm Insas rifles being used by the Indian defence forces.
- The time frame for the supply of the whole consignment is 12 months from the signing of contract.
- The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by the Defence Minister, had accorded the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the rifles on January 16 last year.
- Of the new rifles, the Army would get the bulk of 66,400, while the Navy will get 2,000 and the Air Force 4,000.
PM Modi lays foundation stones for various projects in Haryana
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones of the National Institute of Ayurveda, Panchkula, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya University of Health Sciences, Karnal, Shri Krishna Ayush University, Kurukshetra, and ‘Battles of Panipat’ Museum, Panipat.
- He also inaugurated the National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar district and the ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad.
- The Shri Krishna Ayush University, the first of its kind in the world, will provide the facility of education and treatment through Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathic medical systems. It would be constructed at an estimated cost of about Rs 475 crore.
- The National Cancer Institute, which has been constructed in Badhsa in Jhajjar district at a cost of about Rs 2,035 crore .
- The National Institute of Ayurveda will provide medical facilities in the field of Ayurveda. It would be constructed on 19.87 acres of land with funding from the Central government.
Assam CM launches Mukhya Mantri Krishi Sa Sajuli Yojana
- Assam Chief Minister SarbanandaSonowal formally launched the ‘MukhyaMantriKrishi Sa SajuliYojana (Chief Minister Farm- Tool Scheme) and Farmers’ Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme.
- The State government has set up 240 Skill Development Centres (under Assam Skill Development Mission) and provides regular vocation training for the educated unemployed youths.
- Under the scheme, Rs 5000 will be provided to each farmer as financial assistance for procurement of farm tools and implements. The amount will be transferred directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer mode.
- The Government of Assam has targeted 5 lakh farmers across the State under the scheme.
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